Pursuit starts near the beach

Leon Tuttle, 48, is arrested Friday after authorities said he led officers on a chase from Enderts Beach Road to the Bertsch Tract. Del Norte Triplciate / Bryant Anderson

A Klamath man was arrested after attempting to elude officers in a pursuit that began when he ran a stop sign, authorities said.

A state park ranger tried pulling over a green BMW on Endert Beach Road after the driver blew through a stop sign as he was leaving the picnic area, said Ranger Dave Keltner.

The driver refused to pull over and led authorities into the Bertsch Tract, where the ranger lost sight of the vehicle, Keltner said.

“Some folks in the neighborhood pointed out where the green BMW was and someone called 911 stating that a guy with tattoos on his face was running through the neighborhood,” said Keltner.

A Del Norte sheriff’s deputy apprehended 48-year-old Leon Tuttle and arrested him on suspicion of eluding a police officer, possessing meth with the intent to distribute and transportation of meth, Keltner said.

The California Highway Patrol and Fish and Wildlife also assisted in the chase.

A police officer and his dog join the search for Silva after he allegedly crashed a stolen vehicle during Thursday’s pursuit. Del Norte Triplicate / Anthony Skeens

During the pursuit, authorities mistakenly held two people at gunpoint, Keltner said.

Immediately behind where the BMW had been abandoned, there was a trail that led to a residence where two people were sitting in a parked car, Keltner said.

The two were briefly detained and identified; afterward authorities apologized, Keltner said.

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